Filing cabinet and drawer for microscope slides



Jan. 11, 1955 E. c. WEISKOPF 2,699,370

FILING CABINET AND DRAWER FOR MICROSCOPE SLIDE'S Filed Jan. 30, 1952 m Mu INVENTOR EOM/V C. WE/S/(OPF A 7' w 4 BY 1926) 55 k g wa ATTORNEYS United States Patent FILING CABINET AND DRAWER FOR MICROSCOPE SLIDES Edwin C. Weiskopf, Brewster, N. Y., assignor to Technicon International, Ltd., a corporation of New York Application January 30, 1952, Serial No. 268,942 2 Claims. (Cl. 312-346) The present invention relates generally to filing cabinets and, more particularly, to filing cabinets primarily intended to be used for filing a multiplicity of slides, such as, for example, those generally utilized with microscopes for biological and bacteriological purposes, and generally known as micro-slides. The cabinet of the present invention, however, may also have provision for the filing of photographic slides, such as lantern slides and Kodachrome slides.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved filing cabinet, of the above described character, having drawers readily engageable with guides provided in said cabinet, which guides also cooperate to prevent the vertical movement of said drawers whereby the drawers can be withdrawn for a substantial distance from said cabinet without danger of being accidentally dislodged from the cabinet.

Another object is to provide the drawers and cabinet frame with complementary relatively slidable interengaging means for supporting the drawers for sliding movement in the cabinet frame in such manner that the friction between said complementary means is relatively low, the construction being such that the use of roller or ball bearings, or other similar anti-friction bearings, is not required.

Another object is to provide an improved cabinet drawer guide which obviates the need for separately securing the guide to the cabinet bottom.

A further object is to provide an improved drawer structurewherein the walls, the bottom, and a plurality of guide means on said bottom are all formed from a single strip of sheet material.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of a sectional cabinet embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a drawer according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the drawer shown in Fig. 2; P Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the filing cabinet of the present invention is preferably of the sectional type, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and comprises a plurality of cabinet or frame sections 10, disposed one on top of the other, in stacked relation, and provided with a top or cover section 12 for closing the top of the uppermost section of the filing cabinet. It will be understood that the cabinet may be provided with a suitable base section for the lowest stacked filing section 10. Each section is formed of sheet metal, preferably sheet steel, and comprises a bottom 14, of the full length and width of the section, side walls 16 and a rear wall 18. Each frame section 10 defines a housing chamber for a plurality of sliding drawers disposed horizontally in adjacent side-by-side relation in said chamber. The drawers may be constructed of different widths and made interchangeable, as explained in my Patent 2,364,409, for a Cabinet, dated December 5, 1944, and in my Patent No. 2,559,203, July 3, 1951. Said chamber has a front opening 20 through which the drawers are inserted and removed, or partly withdrawn, and which is closed by the front ends of the drawers when the latter are fully within the section, the fronts of the drawers being substantially flush with the front of the cabinet when the drawers are closed. As shown in my above mentioned Patent No. 2,559,203, the top of each cabinet section 10 has horizontal edge portions on which corresponding edge portions at the bottom of the section are seated. In Fig. 5,. corresponding lateral edge portions 22 are seated as indicated at 24. Reference is also made to said Patent No. 2,559,203 for the manner in which the sections 10 are held in position.

The bottom 14 of each cabinet section 10 is provided with a plurality of integral longitudinal guide members 26 extending rearwardly from an integral bottom portion 28 adjacent front opening 20, as illustrated in Fig. 6, to an integral bottom portion 30, adjacent rear wall 18. These guide members are disposed in laterally spaced relation defining longitudinal slots 32 to receive bottom portions of the drawers, as will hereinafter be more particularly described. Guide members 26 are preferably formed by stamping or striking-up portions of bottom 14 between the integral bottom portions 28 and 30. The guide members are preferably of the same size and are preferably disposed in uniformly spaced relation in the upper surface of bottom wall 14 of the cabinet. Each guide member 26 is substantially U-shaped and has a flat bottom portion 34, vertical diverging portions 36 forming a longitudinal groove, and horizontal portions or flanges 38 extending outwardly from the companion vertical portion 36, said flanges being spaced from the upper surface of bottom wall. 14, as indicated at 40 in Fig. 5, to receive portions of the drawers, as will hereinafter be described.

Referring now to the drawers, as shown by Fig. l, a plurality of drawers 42 are mounted in horizontal sideby-side position in the cabinet section drawers are all shown as of the same may be of various different widths to receive wider slides and cards, respectively, as explained in my abovementioned patents. Drawer 42 comprises a bottom wall 44, opposed side walls 46, a front end wall 48 and a rear end wall 50. Bottom wall 44 and side walls 46 are preferably formed in one piece from sheet metal stock, preferably sheet steel.

The bottom wall 44 is provided with a longitudinally extending central bead 52 which is downwardly convex and has a transverse smoothly rounded curvature, clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The radius of curvature of bead 52 is sufficiently large so that said head does not fully enter into the space between the companion divergent vertical portions 36 of guide member 26, whereby the curved side portions of the bead are in engagement with the adjacent upper parts of guide portions 36, respectively, so as to keep down the friction between said head and the companion guide 26. It will be noted that the bottom wall 44 is provided at its side edges with longitudinally extending beads or runners 54 which have rounded lower edges, as clearly shown in larly have rounded bottom portions.

The stock is preferably die stamped to form the central bead 52 extending longitudinally of drawer bottom 44 from the front to the rear thereof, the upturned opposed lateral Walls 46, head portions 54 near the front of the side edges of bottom wall 44, bead portions 56 near the rear of the side edges of bottom wall 44, the confronting inturned portions 58 extending between beads 54 and 56 of each bottom wall side edge, respectively, and the flat horizontal bottom portions 60 and 6001 between central bead 52 and the side edges of bottom wall 44.

It will be noted that rib or head 52 has laterally projecting longitudinal flanges 61 which are continuous at one end thereof with bottom Wall 60 and at the opposite ends thereof with portions 60a of bottom wall 44, and it will be noted further that the confronting inturned portions 58 are formed by striking the same from the bottom wall of the drawer in forming head 52 and its flanges 61. When drawer 52 is in position in the cabinet frame in slidable engagement with the companion guide 26, the drawer is supported by the transversely rounded bead 52 in sliding contact with guide 26, the flanges 61 lying above the flanges 38 of guide 26, with little or no frictional contact between said drawer and said guide flanges. The inturned portions 58 of the sides of the drawer project laterally into the longitudinal slots 32 and lie with small clearance below the flanges 38 of the companion guide 26 and have a slight clearance above underlying portions 63 of the bottom 14' of the companion cabinet frame section, so as to obviate frictional contact between inturned portions 58 and the cabinet frame during the movement of the drawer into and out of the cabinet frame section. spaced somewhat above the section.

Front end wall 48 and rear end wall 50 are preferably welded to side walls 46, or may be secured thereto in any suitable manner. If so desired suitable means of any type (not shown) may be provided on the upper surface of bottom wall 44 to retain side walls 46 against movement toward each other.

Beads 54 and 56 cooperate with the edges of flanges 38 of guide 26 to prevent movement of the drawer laterally of the companion gui e member 26.

Beads 56 facilitate the ready introduction of drawer 42 into the cabinet by sliding under flanges 38 and extend only a relatively short distance from the rear edge of bottom wall 44 to permit the drawer to be withdrawn from the cabinet for the greater part of its length, and yet permit the drawer to be secured against vertical dislodgement therefrom by the disposition of inturned portions 58 under flanges 38, even when almost fully withdrawn from the cabinet. Therefore, it is apparent that guides 26 not only guide the drawers, in their movements in and out of the cabinet, but also in combination with inturned portions 58 prevent the downward tilting of the drawers when the latter are partly withdrawn from the cabinet.

It will be noted further that as hereinbefore explained, the radius of transverse curvature of bead 52 is of such size in relation to the space between wall portions 36 of guide 26 that the weight of the drawer and its contents are supported by laterally spaced longitudinal extending curved portions of bead 52 adjacent flanges 61 and wall portions 60 and 60a whereby the frictional engagement of the drawer in the cabinet frame is greatly minimized while at the same time the drawer is properly guided for longitudinal movement along a longitudinal track constituted by guide 26 in cooperation with beads 54 and 56, and relative vertical movement of the drawer in the cabinet frame is prevented so that the drawer can be moved almost entirely out of the cabinet frame, that is until the rear ends of inturned portions 58 clear the forward end of the companion guide 26, without vertical movement of the drawer. Further it will be noted that rear wall 50 is higher than front wall 48 and is sufficiently high so that when the drawer is moved to its extreme outer position the upper end of the rear wall 50 strikes the upper front edge of the cabinet frame section so as to prevent downward tilting of the cabinet drawer, even when the drawer is in its foremost position outwardly of the cabinet frame. However, when the drawer is in said outermost position it can be removed from the cabinet frame by tilting the drawer upwardly and rearwardly sufficient to disengage the rear ends of inturned portions 58 from the forward ends of the flanges 38 of guide 26. It will be understood that the above described construction of bead or rib 52 in relation to guide 26 prevents binding of the rib in the groove of guide 26.

Each drawer is provided with a handle 62 formed by a partially stamped-out portion of front wall 48 which is bent outwardly and downwardly therefrom. A card or label holder is provided by a plate 64 welded, or otherwise secured, to the front wall 48 over the opening therein left by bend-down handle 62, and provided with bottom wall of the frame Beads 54 and 56 are alsov confronting holder portions 66 whereby a card may be readily slipped between portions 66 to rest on handle 62.

Although the presently preferred embodiment of my invention, as illustrated in the drawings, shows the drawer being used with guides which are integral with the bottom cabinet wall, it will be understood that the drawer can be used with guides which are not integral therewith, for example, the guides shown in my above referred to Patent No. 2,559,203.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 79,153 filed March 2, 1949, now Patent No. 2,668,746 issued February 9, 1954.

While I have shown and described the presently preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes in the details of construction and in the form and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a cabinet, a frame having a bottom and a front opening, and a drawer supported on said bottom and movable thereon into and out of said frame through said front opening, said bottom having a guide member provided with a longitudinal open-top groove and said drawer having a bottom provided with a longitudinal downwardly projecting rib slidably engaging said bottom of the frame in said groove for said movement of the drawer into and out of the frame, said rib having a transverse curvature and being wider than the bottom of said groove, whereby the side Walls of said groove are slidably engaged by transversely curved portions of said rib with clearance between the bottom of said groove and the bottom of said rib to prevent binding of the rib in said groove, said guide member having laterally projecting parts spaced above the bottom of the frame and said drawer having inturned portions which are disposed under said laterally projecting parts to limit vertical movement of the drawer when the latter is partly withdrawn from the frame, said inturned parts of the drawer and said laterally projecting parts of said guide member also providing means to limit movement of the drawer laterally of said guide member.

2. In a cabinet, a frame having a bottom and a front opening, and a drawer supported on said bottom and movable thereon into and out of said frame through said front opening, said bottom having a guide member provided with a longitudinal open-top groove and said drawer having a bottom provided with a longitudinal downwardly projecting rib slidably engaging said bottom of the frame in said groove for said movement of the drawer into and out of the frame, said rib having a transverse curvature and being wider than the bottom of said groove, whereby the side walls of said groove are slidably engaged by transversely curved portions of said rib with clearance between the bottom of said groove and the bottom of said rib to prevent binding of the rib in said groove, said guide member having laterally projecting parts spaced above the bottom of the frame and said drawer having inturned portions which are disposed under said laterally projecting parts to limit vertical movement of the drawer when the latter is partly withdrawn from the frame, said inturned portions of the drawer having vertical clearance between the overlying laterally projecting parts of the guide members and the underlying parts of the bottom of the frame, said inturned portions of the drawer consisting of parts struck out from the bottom of the drawer and integral therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,887,077 Westrope Nov. 8, 1932 2,182,026 Link Dec. 5, 1939 2,321,520 Ruckman June 8, 1943 2,668,746 Weiskopf Feb. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 227,828 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1943 

